GINGER PEACH PIE

1/2-3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped crystalized ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
6 cups thinly sliced peeled peaches (or frozen unsweetened peach slices)
Pastry for Double-Crust pie
milk
additional sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine the 1/2-3/4 cup sugar, the flour, crystallized ginger, and mace. Add fresh or frozen peaches. Toss gently till peaches are coated. (If using frozen peaches, let stand for 15-30 minutes, or till peaches are partially thawed but still icy.)

Line a 9-inch pie plate with half of the pastry. Stir peach mixture; transfer to pastry-lined pie plate. Trim pastry even with rim. Cut slits in top crust. Place crust on filling. Trim, seal, and crimp edge of pastry. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 25 minutes for fresh peaches (50 minutes for frozen peaches). Remove foil and bake for 20-25 minutes more for fresh peaches (20-30 minutes for frozen peaches), or till top is golden. Cool on a rack.

CHOCOLATE DREAM CAKE

A friend passed this recipe on to me. It is yummy!

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup + 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 Tablespoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups milk, + 2 Tablespoons vinegar to sour the milk
• 1 1/2 cups strong black coffee (warm, not hot)
• 3/4 cup melted butter (not hot)
• 4 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

White Frosting

• 3/4  cup butter at room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (more or less for desired consistency)
• 1/3 cup half and half cream (or whole milk or heavy cream) *more or less for desired consistancy
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Chocolate Frosting

• 3/4  cup butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (more or less for desired consistency)
• 1/3 cup half and half cream (or whole milk or heavy cream) *more or less for desired consistancy
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Chocolate Ganache

• 4 ounces (113g) dark chocolate
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup cream

Garnish * Optional

• 2 cups Chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chocolate cake sprinkles,
• 2 ounces grated dark chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease three 8 inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, grease the parchment and lightly flour insides and bottoms of pans, set aside.  We used spring form pans.
3. Measure out the milk and vinegar and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, sift together four, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
5. In a medium sized mixing bowl using an electric mixer on medium, mix together the eggs, soured milk, coffee, melted butter and vanilla extract.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix for 2-5 minutes with an electric mixer, scraping down the sides until well combined.
7. Divide the batter equally into the 3 pans.  If you do not have 3 pans, use a measuring cup to divide the mixture into bowls, set aside and bake in batches.
8. Bake each cake for 30 minutes.  If you are doing all 3 cakes at once rotate the pans in the oven. Insert a cake tester in the middle at 30 minutes and  if not baked, continue for another 5 minutes or until baked.
9. When baked remove from oven and place the cake pans onto cooling racks. Let cool for 20 minutes before removing the cake from the pan.  Let sit until cool before slicing the cakes in half.

White Filler Frosting

1. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter in a bowl, add the vanilla, and the confectioners’ sugar alternately with the cream, in increments until you reach the desired spreading consistency.

Chocolate Frosting

1. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter in a bowl, add the vanilla, and the cocoa. Add the confectioners’ sugar alternately with the cream, in increments until you reach the desired spreading consistency.

Chocolate Ganache

1. Over low heat, in a double boiler, melt together the chocolate and butter. Mix in the cream and stir until the sauce is thick and smooth. Let cool before drizzling onto the cake.

Assembly

1. On your cake place alternate a layer of cake and a layer of white frosting.
2. Frost the top and sides with the chocolate frosting.
3. Garnish with grated chocolate, chocolate chips and chocolate sprinkles and drizzle with choclate ganache.

YUMMY CREAM CHEESE POUNDCAKE

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 8 oz packageCream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Add vanilla mixing well. Combine flour and salt, gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Fill a 2-cup, ovenproof measuring cup with water; place in oven with tube pan. This will help keep the cake moist. Bake at 300°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Glaze-
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 TBS milk, to consistency

Mix together till desired consistency is reached, but should be thin. Add more milk one teaspoon at a time to get the thinness you want. Drizzle over cooled cake. 

I got this recipe from a friend. I have not made it but it sure looks good.